Ever since Mahmood and Blanco won Sanremo with “Brividi” in February, and thus gained the right to represent host country Italy at Eurovision 2022, we’ve been patiently waiting for the official “Eurovision version” of the song.
With the official Eurovision 2022 album now out, we can finally listen to the Eurovision version of “Brividi”.
The original track is three minutes and 20 seconds long, which exceeds the maximum allowed length of three minutes, as per Eurovision’s official rules.
Shortening a song is never an easy task, especially considering that a wrong or careless cut could completely change the mood and flow of the original piece. And Italy knows it too well, since Francesco Gabbani’s entry “Occidentali’s Karma” was turned upside down by the three-minute rule in 2017.
Mahmood (real name: Alessandro Mahmoud) and Blanco (real name: Riccardo Fabbriconi) worked together with the co-author of the song, Michelangelo, to produce the Eurovision version of “Brividi”. They went for stylistic choices that would greatly benefit a live performance.
Mahmood & Blanco – “Brividi” (Eurovision version)
What changed compared to the original version?
- The length of the song was shortened by about 25 seconds, from three minutes and 20 seconds to two minutes and 55 seconds
- The Eurovision version begins with Mahmood’s voice singing a cappella – the original guitar intro was cut
- The final chorus was shortened and the music stops as the two artists sing the closing verse
The overall feeling of the three-minute version better suits a live performance, and greatly enhances the voices of Mahmood and Blanco rather than the instrumental background.
The three-minute rule
Curiously, the three-minute rule was created because of an Italian Eurovision entry.
In 1957, the song “Corde della mia chitarra” by Nunzio Gallo lasted a whopping five minutes and nine seconds. The audience’s protests led to a new rule establishing that each song cannot exceed three minutes.
“Brividi” Eurovision version lyrics – Mahmood & Blanco (Italy Eurovision 2022)
Original Italian textHo sognato di volare con te Nudo con i brividi Tu, che mi svegli il mattino Nudo con i brividi Dimmi che non ho ragione Non so dirti ciò che provo, è un mio limite Questo veleno che ci sputiamo ogni giorno Lo vedi, sono qui, Nudo con i brividi |
English translationI dreamt of flying with you Naked with chills You, who wake me up in the morning Naked with chills Tell me I’m not right I’m not able to tell you how I feel, it’s my limit This poison we spit on each other every day You see, I’m here Naked with chills |
What do you think about the Eurovision version of “Brividi”? Has your opinion of the song changed after listening to the shorter version? Let us know in the comments!
I was afraid of how they would cut this. I was scared they would have to ditch one of the elements of the song entirely, since it is so unrepetitive. But this is actually pretty OK! The acapella opening with the instrumentation slowly coming in is beautiful. Ok the shortened last chorus does throw me off a bit (but this is because I’ve been listening to the San Remo version on repeat and know it by heart), but other than this it is pretty much the best they could have done. Still my winner!
I love seeing a male duet, especially a ballad, we never see stuff like this and with the Italian language? LOVE IT
I love the song, but I don’t like this new cut. Starting the song with this auto-tune sounds really strange. And the cut in the end takes out the last wave of emotion.
I would really like 3 minutes rules to be changed to 3:30. Most pop songs these days are around 3:30 and being limited to 3:00 hurts structures of many songs.
This would add 13 minutes to the final, but I’m convinced most of that time could be saved by cutting some less important parts of the show.
Such an emotional song. Loved it from the moment I listened to it. Really don’t understand how ‘boring’ can be a word used to describe this song. I get not everyone likes it and that’s cool but ‘boring’ really? You don’t like it fine, but I don’t understand why people liking/loving it bothers you so much?
Please tell me that they won’t use autotune live. That’s the only reason I don’t like the song very much.
They will not use it live. They didn’t use it in Sanremo.
They never used it
Poland Italy and Sweden top 3
Now we have brevi-di, but it’s the same song.
Will Blanco say the word “puttane”? Or it will be censored?
Another strong entry for Italy which will score well with both juries and televoters. Might not win, but should reach top 5 easily.
This song is nothing. Its boring. I dont like Mahmoods voice. But its taly. It dosnt mater what song they have, peopke loves them anyway.
If it was Montenegro then Bottom 5 in the odds
Finally someone who thinks like me. This song is so boring. If it was sent by San Marino, it would be bottom of everyones top 40. Italy is overrated (along with the other overrated country .se )
Since 2011, Italy have been inside the top ten all but 2 times. The results speak for themselves. Italy is not overrated, they just pop out consistent high quality songs. Sure not everybody likes them, but like is subjective. Objectively their quality can’t be denied.
Yes they are. Sweden has beeb top 10 since 2012, exept 2 tines but people always say that Sweden is overrated. Italy have 1 good song after they come back and that was 2013
you are desperate, aren’t you? Why don’t you go to listen the song you like?
I’m Italian and I’m very sad to read this kind of comments. I think that there are countries more overrated than mine all the years but I don’t write it for respect. I think that my country every year chooses good songs (they win Sanremo and they are listened a lot in Italy). Thanks to the public vote (and NEVER to the juries one) we have been inside the top ten many years. If you don’t like it it’s ok, it’s subjective, but you can’t minimize the commitment of an artist or a country just because every year people appreciate… Read more »
My Top 5:
Israel? Oh lol… That made me spit out my morning latte!
But each to their own and glad you’ve a song you enjoy!
Mwah, it’s a good song. But I really do not like the high pitched Brividi-parts. That’s why it is not on the top of my list, but outside my top 10. It will end up high, that’s for sure. But for me not a winning song.
Nothing wrong with Blanco, but the distinctive sound of Mahmood makes it special.
So beautiful, whoah, Mahmood and Blanco, they really want to organize contest again, why not? Vi vengono brividi!
Still a masterpiece full of raw emotion
People saying it’s boring as an only argument.. Well the same was said about Arcade and look what hahahappend! Feel the music, not so hard I would say.. This is classy and a winning Eurovision song!!
Arcade have a great melodi, this song have’nt. Its just an ordinary song
I’m a ballad lover. Love Voila, Tout l’universe, and Hold Me Closer, but I never liked Arcade. Normally I like ballads, but not all are my favorites.
And yet it won.. We don’t all have to like it.. But saying it’s boring is too much
It’s always tricky to compare a version I already loved and listened to dozens of times with a new one. For now, I’m missing a lot the guitar intro and a little less the other half of the final chorus. Though they had to cut something and having Mahmood singing the first verses a cappella can be a charming touch. In the end, only us hardcore fans will notice the differences anyway.
I find the song derivative and dull, the duo as a collective is satisfactory at best and one half of the duo is entirely surplus to requirements and that half is Mahmood. I find that he ruins the song and his vocals are seriously off putting for the song, especially when it comes to the high notes, it seems forced, duplicitous and unnatural for him. The instrumental is okay, but it has been done a million times before and is not reinventing the wheel; it’s the same pretty/whiny boy ballad we have heard for many, many years and has been… Read more »
70millions streams on Spotify and 50 millions on Youtube say HI. No, it is not overrated. Find another adjective to disparage the song!
Still, the streams from abroad surpass the second most listened song for Eurovision 2022. So, your comment doesn’t make sense.
Absolutely overrated song… I find it really boring.
true
Cool so what? Other people don’t, like everything.
I thought it would be difficult to adapt to this new version, after listening to the original several times, but it actually gave it a “fresh look”. still impressive
I kinda miss the rest of the last chorus as that for me was the most emotional part of the song live. I hope this cut won’t change the emotion in the live performance. But I’m very glad the bridge was left untouched, and I actually really like the acapella beginning
I really don’t like Mahmood’s voice for some reason. I liked both Soldi and Brividi as songs but his voice always irked me for some reason. I wish it was a Blanco solo
THANK YOU!! FINALLY SOMEBODY SEES IT!
Beautiful !! I love it
I still can’t listen to it fully. There is something about the combination of the two voices that I find uncomfortable.
I wish they added half of the guitar intro, it would make it a perfect three-minute mark.
I like it starting with Mahmood’s voice, finally a song that’s fully live… if only for a few seconds.
That was eleven years ago.
It had been done before 2011, from about 1956 to 1998, if we’re being so literal. You reminded me of Witloof Bay, though, so Mahmood doesn’t seem so impressive anymore.
Greece 2022: Am i a joke to you???
Belgium 2011*.
I miss the intro 🙁 Now it seems to start out of nowhere
The lack of music at the start is like a copy of greeces song at the start. Unfair game!
Yes because Amanda is the first artist in history that had acapella parts in her song.
That’s true